The most-talked about impact of Elon Musk's new cybertruck was that made by a steel ball into its armoured windows at an unveiling event this weekend. Look beyond this minor hiccup, though, and the widespread interest in the truck's launch says much more about the growth of the electric car market.
In this week's edition, Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner take a look at the future of transport, speaking to Yunshi Wang, who is director of the China Centre for Energy and Transportation of UC Davis, about the impact of the electric car on the cities around us.
We also look at the growing infrastructure being put in place within the UAE to accommodate the growth of electric cars, and the arrival of Formula E in Saudi Arabia.
In this episode:
Kelsey and Mustafa on the Cybertruck & EVs (0m 38s)
Yunshi Wang (14m 30s)
Headlines (28m 05s)
Read more on our website:
• Tesla Cybertruck: Elon Musk enters stiff pick-up truck market with electric model
• Dubai extends free charging for electric cars for a year
• Abu Dhabi receives bids for planned 2GW solar scheme
• Abu Dhabi luxury developer expands Moroccan portfolio with Dh571m mixed-use project
• UAE is most prosperous Arab nation for 13th year, study says
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450+ employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani